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TBBC Awards: Post Season Thoughts
WVaBuckeye via our good friends at Buckeye Battle Cry
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
The fellas around these parts have had some serious angst around the awards from week to week. One week we didn’t want to give any out and the next we couldn’t decide on the player that stood out most. That was the kind of season it was for fans, trying to put a finger on who was the best each week became a chore!
Offensive
Jan 1, 2016; Glendale, AZ, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Urban Meyer celebrates with offensive lineman Taylor Decker (68), running back Ezekiel Elliott (15) and offensive lineman Pat Elflein (65) after beating the Notre Dame Fighting Irish 44-28 in the 2016 Fiesta Bowl at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports
tOSU Offensive MVP
Ken – Ezekiel Elliott: Zeke provided reliability and performance, whether he was running, receiving or blocking.
Patrick -JT Barret. An MVP is the most valuable player to their team….this team was a much more potent, championship caliber team with J.T.
Scott – Zeke. He was the one common denominator or shall I say dominator.
WVa – There may never be another more complete running back to don the Scarlet and Gray. Ezekiel Elliott left his mark with his career, on that team, against the players he faced (and blew up and flipped) and for the most part was the go-to guy when the team needed it the most. It’s a pity he didn’t get to enjoy a trip to New York.
Joe D. – Ezekiel Elliott put up the stats to be this year’s offensive MVP but it’s his leadership and fight through a wavering season that makes him the Offensive player of the year for the Buckeyes.
JC – Zeke. Zeke. Zeke. What a complete workhorse! And certainly a leader by example. I love this kid and wish him the absolute best in the NFL. I am praying now that he lasts until the Bengals make their pick and realize the blessings that he lasted until them. Just hoping! That’s all a guy can do!
Michael – Zeke Elliott. No debate here. By far and away our best offensive player for the entire season
Brandon – Ezekiel Elliott. He is the best complete back we have seen in a very long time. I can’t remember having a running back that I loved to watch without the ball in his hands. Thank you, Zeke!
Ezekiel Elliott, enough said!
tOSU O-line MVP
Ken – Pat Elflein: He provided good push at point of attack, was an excellent trap blocker and did well with pass protection.
Patrick -Taylor Decker
Scott – Pat Elflein was really a key to the running game and pass blocking.
WVa – Some of the best offensive line play truly occurred last season in the final three games, just from the way Ezekiel Elliott dominated each game. Taylor Decker will go down as one of the best to play at tackle in Columbus. I am not the only one that feels that way either, he belongs on the list with Pace, Hicks, Marshall and Stringer.
Joe D. – Taylor Decker is going to be a top offensive lineman in the NFL. That being sad, I’m with Ken in Pat Elflein’s progression this season at guard. I can’t wait to see what he does at center next season — his more natural position.
JC – Taylor Decker. The anchor of the line. He is a bruiser and will be missed.
Michael- Taylor Decker. The leader of the OL. He crushed people and made the holes for Elliott to run thru
Brandon – Taylor Decker. There really is not a wrong choice here but I will go with Decker. For a guy who the previous regime didn’t want to offer, he turned out decent.
Taylor Decker wins this walking away for the 2015 season.
tOSU Offensive Unsung
Ken – Split vote between Michael Thomas and Jalin Marshall. Thomas provided the “flash” in the receiving game, while Marshall the “grit”. Both were great playmakers for whoever QB’d Ohio State.
Patrick – Zeke…..his blocking opened more big runs than half the o line.
Scott – Braxton Miller. He gave up his position for the good of the team and while he didn’t put up huge numbers he was a threat.
WVa – I had a tough time deciding who my guy was here. After giving it much though I am going with Nick Vannett. Nick did everything he could and more for the offense this season. Not only does he have the ability to be a major threat to the defense he mostly played like an extra lineman and never appeared to have a problem with his role. He will end up somewhere in the NFL and will do well.
Joe D. – Ohio State’s unsung hero is Urban Meyer, though he should also be the one to blame for how horrible things went this year. Thank god Urban took control of the offense for the final two games of the season.
JC – I love Joe’s assessment. Urban indeed was unsung. After all the trouble in paradise he recognized the need to enforce “leadership” and took the reins of the offense. In doing so he took a sluggish team and made them the special group they were last year and ARE. Thank you Urban for finally realizing! I need to say Mike Thomas too. He is soooo good! And amazingly we hardly “seem” to notice with the likes of Zeke, JT, Cardale, Bosa & etc. roaming around.
Michael – Braxton Miller. His numbers weren’t impressive but the sacrifices he made for this team were amazing.
Brandon – The Slobs. They took a lot of heat at times this year but they have been a constant force opening holes for the running game and an absolute pleasure to watch. #sloblife
Seems we have trouble deciding this one. I will give it to Braxton Miller because I think he is the best choice.
Defensive
Will NFL-bound players like Joey Bosa leave it all on the field or mail it in?
tOSU Bosanator Awards
Ken – Joey Bosa. He made plays, but just as importantly, his presence allowed his teammates to make plays.
Patrick -Joey Bosa
Scott – Joey Bosa. What Ken said.
WVa – Joey Bosa sent a message before his early exit against Notre Lame. He is a force to be reckoned with and obviously no amount of film prepared the opposing team for just how much he effects the play across the line. I am sorry but if he had stayed in the game, the result would have been much worse.
Joe D. – Exactly, Ken. Just watch the games in which Joey Bosa was not on the field. Without him, the Buckeye defense lost nearly all of it’s edge. That’s the type of difference maker he is.
JC – Joey Bosa. He is the Michael Jordan of this team.
Michael – Joey Bosa. A man among boys out there. Just an amazing talent and player
Brandon – Joey Bosa. It has been talked about all year on how his stats are down but if you actually watch the football games you know how dominant he was this year. Absolutely a dominant force!
It will forever be called the Bosanator Award for obvious reasons. He was and will be missed.
tOSU D-line MVP
Ken – Adolphus Washington: A-Wash provided the “plug and the push” in the defensive interior rotation.
Patrick – Joey Bosa
Scott – Joey Bosa. For the reasons Ken mentioned above.
WVa – Adolphus Washington made the most of the opportunities provided him by teams needing to double Bosa. Up until it became apparent they needed to take care of both of them, teams underestimated the talent he truly has and became someone that all teams needed to respect as much as Bosa. Having him and Bosa out for Notre Lame sent another message. That d-line was pretty dang good this season!
Joe D. – Depth was the biggest MVP of this line. Everybody is so talented, that they can plug and play throughout games and stay fresh throughout the 4th quarter.
JC – Adolphus Washington provided intense talent up front. His ability to plug holes made it fun to watch the D in action.
Michael – Joey Bosa. See above
Brandon – Joey Bosa. He required teams to dedicate 2-3 men to him each play.
Bosanator Award again!
tOSU Defensive Unsung
Ken – Tyquan Lewis: He was 2nd on the team in TFLs and led the team in sacks. He (not so) quietly anchored the “other” end of OSU’s defensive line.
Patrick – Tyquan Lewis
Scott – Raekwon McMillan. I concur with Joe.
WVa – I am a huge Gareon Conley fan and like him more and more every time I see him play. The work he did this season made it clear that the staff had trust and faith in him because they didn’t rotate corners to the best receiver side. Many times he appeared to be exposed a little but when you play tight, sometimes you do lose. He will be an AA candidate next season.
Joe D. – Raekwon McMillan was quietly the captain of this defense. The Sophomore led the team in tackles (and it’s not even close), and ran a defense that was championship caliber in the second half of the season.
JC – Raekwon McMillan and his total numbers completely justify his recognition – yet he never seemed to get any with all of the other stars that exists on this dynamic group. He unquestionably is the Buckeyes unsung hero on D.
Michael – Conely, Jr. Was extremely solid at the other CB spot. All year long played great.
Brandon – Sam Hubbard. He was able to come in sparingly and almost get to the quarterback every time. He was able to step in the Virginia Tech and Notre dame games and take away the stress of losing the best defensive player in America. He is going to have a huge season next year!
Raekwon the man! I am not sure how he was unsung being the leading tackler on the team, and it’s great he is coming back!
Odds and Ends
tOSU Special Teams MVP
Ken – The kickoff coverage unit. They were ranked 3rd in the country (16.26 YPR) and never really gave an opponent breathing room to begin an offensive series.
Patrick – Cam Johnston
Scott – Kick coverage.
WVa – Coverage teams period. I cannot say any more than what the others already said.
Joe D. -Cam Johnston was the offensive MVP of this team early in the season and without a doubt a Special Teams MVP in most big games. The way that he pinned offenses back was a huge part in why the Buckeyes were able to stay undefeated despite struggling for so long.
JC – The Specials Teams is the MVP – everyone of them. These guys hustled, hit, blocked, ran, they did their jobs and with “authority”.
Michael – I agree with Ken. The kickoff coverage team. They dominated this season
Brandon – Bryce Haynes. Look, I love the Aussie but there is not a bigger special teams person we will miss next year than Haynes. He never gave a bad snap and was always one of the first one or two players down there to down the ball on punts.
Coverage teams are king for a day, mostly the KO team!
tOSU Needs Improvement
Ken – Offensive play-calling. The last two games were improved in terms of encouraging a more dynamic and effective offense, but there were still some judgement lapses.
Patrick – Dontre Wilson
Scott – Play calling has been discussed quite often. What we saw against TTUN and ND is how this offense needs to look.
WVa – Offensive play-calling for the season was the worst I have ever seen and I survived and I witnessed Joe Hollis for four seasons in the 90’s. I am honestly surprised it took Urban Meyer as long as it did to make some good changes. Maybe he will stay put, the downfalls of all head coaches is giving your assistants to much autonomy during games.
Joe D. – Especially with Mike Thomas more than likely moving on and Curtis Samuel also getting a crack at half back, improving possession receiving is paramount. K.J. Hill and Austin Mack will help that in 2016, as will Noah Brown — who will return after injury. The other question is who is going to be the deep threat in this offense? If Jalin Marshall returns, can he evolve into that player consistently?
JC – Offensive play calling. As I quipped all year …. Warinner & Beck are not the answer. The lackluster starts with this “unbelievable” talent just made no sense. I hope the offensive experiment of THOSE two moves on … Do I have the answer? What of Zach Smith? Or certainly a new QB’s coach that can take on the dual role of OC as well. Just talking out loud here.
Michael – Fast Starts. How many times this year did we look up at the scoreboard in the 2nd qtr and it be 7-7 or even Ohio St down
Brandon – Don’t get cute. I think the biggest problem this year was they tried to get too cute on offense this year. Yes, they had a bunch of play-makers but they had two of the very best in the nation at their positions in Elliott and Thomas. At times, instead of just feeding those two they would try to get everyone involved which led to a very stagnant offense. Next year, look at your play-makers and lean on them when the going gets tough. Problem will be finding who those play-makers are next year. I think Samuel will start at running back and be one of those play-makers.
Hopefully some new offensive play-calling was wrapped up nice and neat under Tim Becks Christmas tree this year.
tOSU Next Big Star
Ken – I’m not sure. It could be J.T. Barrett. It could be Curtis Samuel. It could be Raekwon McMillan. I have no idea, those those would be good places to start.
Patrick -Tie…..Antonio Williams and Austin Mack. They’re not here yet but both will make a huge impact as true freshman.
Scott – Mike Weber. I think he could be special.
WVa – I wanted to talk about Noah Brown here because I think the kid has it and will be huge next season. But, he won’t be as huge as Curtis Samuel will be. There cannot ever be a replacement for Ezekiel Elliott but CS will do a pretty good job of filling some big shoes. His speed makes him difficult to gauge when he makes those cutbacks and he has some of the best ability when it comes to blocking as well.
Joe D. – Curtis Samuel is the player that I’ve watched over the last two seasons and have expressed consistently that I can’t wait to see him get more opportunities to shine at running back. If he gets that in 2016, we are looking at another very special player lined up alongside the quarterback. Especially with his improved receiving skills.
JC – Curtis Samuel. The Brooklyn kid will shine in Columbus.
Michael – Mike Weber. Will replace Elliott at RB. I’ve seen highlights. I think we will love this kid
Brandon – Sam Hubbard. This student athlete will be an absolute force next year. He has been a safety, tight end, linebacker, and now defensive lineman with the Buckeyes. All of that athleticism will show next year.
Curtis Samuel has the nod as the future of the Buckeyes.
tOSU Assistant Coach MVP
Ken – Split vote (again) between Larry Johnson and Mickey Marotti. Johnson did a good job of integrating new players into the D-line to make it a very effective unit. Marotti, again, made sure the team was in shape to grind through another long season.
Patrick – Luke Fickell
Scott – Kerry Coombs. Why not. He’s fun to watch.
WVa – Luke Fickell is my guy. I have been behind him since his lone season of being the head coach which truly was probably just biding time until Urban Meyer could arrive. We are truly blessed to have him and it really doesn’t appear as though he is in a hurry to be a head coach. That is good news for Buckeye fans.
Joe D. – Luke Fickell does not get enough credit in the development of players at Ohio State. Especially in the back seven. Tyvis Powell and Darron Lee were three-star recruits that we didn’t know would even take the field in starter capacities.
They are now off to the NFL.
The same can be said about Joshua Perry and Vonn Bell. Raekwon McMillan credits his growth fully to the type of coach and mentor that Luke Fickell is. I hope Ohio State fans realize how special of a talent evaluator Coach Fick is.
JC – Luke Fickell – Joe you are right. This man does not get enough credit. His knowledge and coaching abilities will have him Head Coaching elsewhere soon!
Michael – Larry Johnson. The DL was great and what he brings with recruiting, coaching ability, etc..
Brandon – Mickey Marottti. This man is what turns Urban Meyer recruits into NFL players. He goes unheralded most of the time but ask players who makes them their best. Guys are already dreading the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre coming up in a few months.
Luke Fickell gains the admiration of most of us!
The post TBBC Awards: Post Season Thoughts appeared first on The Buckeye Battle Cry: Ohio State News and Commentary.
Continue reading...
WVaBuckeye via our good friends at Buckeye Battle Cry
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
The fellas around these parts have had some serious angst around the awards from week to week. One week we didn’t want to give any out and the next we couldn’t decide on the player that stood out most. That was the kind of season it was for fans, trying to put a finger on who was the best each week became a chore!
Offensive
Jan 1, 2016; Glendale, AZ, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Urban Meyer celebrates with offensive lineman Taylor Decker (68), running back Ezekiel Elliott (15) and offensive lineman Pat Elflein (65) after beating the Notre Dame Fighting Irish 44-28 in the 2016 Fiesta Bowl at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports
tOSU Offensive MVP
Ken – Ezekiel Elliott: Zeke provided reliability and performance, whether he was running, receiving or blocking.
Patrick -JT Barret. An MVP is the most valuable player to their team….this team was a much more potent, championship caliber team with J.T.
Scott – Zeke. He was the one common denominator or shall I say dominator.
WVa – There may never be another more complete running back to don the Scarlet and Gray. Ezekiel Elliott left his mark with his career, on that team, against the players he faced (and blew up and flipped) and for the most part was the go-to guy when the team needed it the most. It’s a pity he didn’t get to enjoy a trip to New York.
Joe D. – Ezekiel Elliott put up the stats to be this year’s offensive MVP but it’s his leadership and fight through a wavering season that makes him the Offensive player of the year for the Buckeyes.
JC – Zeke. Zeke. Zeke. What a complete workhorse! And certainly a leader by example. I love this kid and wish him the absolute best in the NFL. I am praying now that he lasts until the Bengals make their pick and realize the blessings that he lasted until them. Just hoping! That’s all a guy can do!
Michael – Zeke Elliott. No debate here. By far and away our best offensive player for the entire season
Brandon – Ezekiel Elliott. He is the best complete back we have seen in a very long time. I can’t remember having a running back that I loved to watch without the ball in his hands. Thank you, Zeke!
Ezekiel Elliott, enough said!
tOSU O-line MVP
Ken – Pat Elflein: He provided good push at point of attack, was an excellent trap blocker and did well with pass protection.
Patrick -Taylor Decker
Scott – Pat Elflein was really a key to the running game and pass blocking.
WVa – Some of the best offensive line play truly occurred last season in the final three games, just from the way Ezekiel Elliott dominated each game. Taylor Decker will go down as one of the best to play at tackle in Columbus. I am not the only one that feels that way either, he belongs on the list with Pace, Hicks, Marshall and Stringer.
Joe D. – Taylor Decker is going to be a top offensive lineman in the NFL. That being sad, I’m with Ken in Pat Elflein’s progression this season at guard. I can’t wait to see what he does at center next season — his more natural position.
JC – Taylor Decker. The anchor of the line. He is a bruiser and will be missed.
Michael- Taylor Decker. The leader of the OL. He crushed people and made the holes for Elliott to run thru
Brandon – Taylor Decker. There really is not a wrong choice here but I will go with Decker. For a guy who the previous regime didn’t want to offer, he turned out decent.
Taylor Decker wins this walking away for the 2015 season.
tOSU Offensive Unsung
Ken – Split vote between Michael Thomas and Jalin Marshall. Thomas provided the “flash” in the receiving game, while Marshall the “grit”. Both were great playmakers for whoever QB’d Ohio State.
Patrick – Zeke…..his blocking opened more big runs than half the o line.
Scott – Braxton Miller. He gave up his position for the good of the team and while he didn’t put up huge numbers he was a threat.
WVa – I had a tough time deciding who my guy was here. After giving it much though I am going with Nick Vannett. Nick did everything he could and more for the offense this season. Not only does he have the ability to be a major threat to the defense he mostly played like an extra lineman and never appeared to have a problem with his role. He will end up somewhere in the NFL and will do well.
Joe D. – Ohio State’s unsung hero is Urban Meyer, though he should also be the one to blame for how horrible things went this year. Thank god Urban took control of the offense for the final two games of the season.
JC – I love Joe’s assessment. Urban indeed was unsung. After all the trouble in paradise he recognized the need to enforce “leadership” and took the reins of the offense. In doing so he took a sluggish team and made them the special group they were last year and ARE. Thank you Urban for finally realizing! I need to say Mike Thomas too. He is soooo good! And amazingly we hardly “seem” to notice with the likes of Zeke, JT, Cardale, Bosa & etc. roaming around.
Michael – Braxton Miller. His numbers weren’t impressive but the sacrifices he made for this team were amazing.
Brandon – The Slobs. They took a lot of heat at times this year but they have been a constant force opening holes for the running game and an absolute pleasure to watch. #sloblife
Seems we have trouble deciding this one. I will give it to Braxton Miller because I think he is the best choice.
Defensive
Will NFL-bound players like Joey Bosa leave it all on the field or mail it in?
tOSU Bosanator Awards
Ken – Joey Bosa. He made plays, but just as importantly, his presence allowed his teammates to make plays.
Patrick -Joey Bosa
Scott – Joey Bosa. What Ken said.
WVa – Joey Bosa sent a message before his early exit against Notre Lame. He is a force to be reckoned with and obviously no amount of film prepared the opposing team for just how much he effects the play across the line. I am sorry but if he had stayed in the game, the result would have been much worse.
Joe D. – Exactly, Ken. Just watch the games in which Joey Bosa was not on the field. Without him, the Buckeye defense lost nearly all of it’s edge. That’s the type of difference maker he is.
JC – Joey Bosa. He is the Michael Jordan of this team.
Michael – Joey Bosa. A man among boys out there. Just an amazing talent and player
Brandon – Joey Bosa. It has been talked about all year on how his stats are down but if you actually watch the football games you know how dominant he was this year. Absolutely a dominant force!
It will forever be called the Bosanator Award for obvious reasons. He was and will be missed.
tOSU D-line MVP
Ken – Adolphus Washington: A-Wash provided the “plug and the push” in the defensive interior rotation.
Patrick – Joey Bosa
Scott – Joey Bosa. For the reasons Ken mentioned above.
WVa – Adolphus Washington made the most of the opportunities provided him by teams needing to double Bosa. Up until it became apparent they needed to take care of both of them, teams underestimated the talent he truly has and became someone that all teams needed to respect as much as Bosa. Having him and Bosa out for Notre Lame sent another message. That d-line was pretty dang good this season!
Joe D. – Depth was the biggest MVP of this line. Everybody is so talented, that they can plug and play throughout games and stay fresh throughout the 4th quarter.
JC – Adolphus Washington provided intense talent up front. His ability to plug holes made it fun to watch the D in action.
Michael – Joey Bosa. See above
Brandon – Joey Bosa. He required teams to dedicate 2-3 men to him each play.
Bosanator Award again!
tOSU Defensive Unsung
Ken – Tyquan Lewis: He was 2nd on the team in TFLs and led the team in sacks. He (not so) quietly anchored the “other” end of OSU’s defensive line.
Patrick – Tyquan Lewis
Scott – Raekwon McMillan. I concur with Joe.
WVa – I am a huge Gareon Conley fan and like him more and more every time I see him play. The work he did this season made it clear that the staff had trust and faith in him because they didn’t rotate corners to the best receiver side. Many times he appeared to be exposed a little but when you play tight, sometimes you do lose. He will be an AA candidate next season.
Joe D. – Raekwon McMillan was quietly the captain of this defense. The Sophomore led the team in tackles (and it’s not even close), and ran a defense that was championship caliber in the second half of the season.
JC – Raekwon McMillan and his total numbers completely justify his recognition – yet he never seemed to get any with all of the other stars that exists on this dynamic group. He unquestionably is the Buckeyes unsung hero on D.
Michael – Conely, Jr. Was extremely solid at the other CB spot. All year long played great.
Brandon – Sam Hubbard. He was able to come in sparingly and almost get to the quarterback every time. He was able to step in the Virginia Tech and Notre dame games and take away the stress of losing the best defensive player in America. He is going to have a huge season next year!
Raekwon the man! I am not sure how he was unsung being the leading tackler on the team, and it’s great he is coming back!
Odds and Ends
tOSU Special Teams MVP
Ken – The kickoff coverage unit. They were ranked 3rd in the country (16.26 YPR) and never really gave an opponent breathing room to begin an offensive series.
Patrick – Cam Johnston
Scott – Kick coverage.
WVa – Coverage teams period. I cannot say any more than what the others already said.
Joe D. -Cam Johnston was the offensive MVP of this team early in the season and without a doubt a Special Teams MVP in most big games. The way that he pinned offenses back was a huge part in why the Buckeyes were able to stay undefeated despite struggling for so long.
JC – The Specials Teams is the MVP – everyone of them. These guys hustled, hit, blocked, ran, they did their jobs and with “authority”.
Michael – I agree with Ken. The kickoff coverage team. They dominated this season
Brandon – Bryce Haynes. Look, I love the Aussie but there is not a bigger special teams person we will miss next year than Haynes. He never gave a bad snap and was always one of the first one or two players down there to down the ball on punts.
Coverage teams are king for a day, mostly the KO team!
tOSU Needs Improvement
Ken – Offensive play-calling. The last two games were improved in terms of encouraging a more dynamic and effective offense, but there were still some judgement lapses.
Patrick – Dontre Wilson
Scott – Play calling has been discussed quite often. What we saw against TTUN and ND is how this offense needs to look.
WVa – Offensive play-calling for the season was the worst I have ever seen and I survived and I witnessed Joe Hollis for four seasons in the 90’s. I am honestly surprised it took Urban Meyer as long as it did to make some good changes. Maybe he will stay put, the downfalls of all head coaches is giving your assistants to much autonomy during games.
Joe D. – Especially with Mike Thomas more than likely moving on and Curtis Samuel also getting a crack at half back, improving possession receiving is paramount. K.J. Hill and Austin Mack will help that in 2016, as will Noah Brown — who will return after injury. The other question is who is going to be the deep threat in this offense? If Jalin Marshall returns, can he evolve into that player consistently?
JC – Offensive play calling. As I quipped all year …. Warinner & Beck are not the answer. The lackluster starts with this “unbelievable” talent just made no sense. I hope the offensive experiment of THOSE two moves on … Do I have the answer? What of Zach Smith? Or certainly a new QB’s coach that can take on the dual role of OC as well. Just talking out loud here.
Michael – Fast Starts. How many times this year did we look up at the scoreboard in the 2nd qtr and it be 7-7 or even Ohio St down
Brandon – Don’t get cute. I think the biggest problem this year was they tried to get too cute on offense this year. Yes, they had a bunch of play-makers but they had two of the very best in the nation at their positions in Elliott and Thomas. At times, instead of just feeding those two they would try to get everyone involved which led to a very stagnant offense. Next year, look at your play-makers and lean on them when the going gets tough. Problem will be finding who those play-makers are next year. I think Samuel will start at running back and be one of those play-makers.
Hopefully some new offensive play-calling was wrapped up nice and neat under Tim Becks Christmas tree this year.
tOSU Next Big Star
Ken – I’m not sure. It could be J.T. Barrett. It could be Curtis Samuel. It could be Raekwon McMillan. I have no idea, those those would be good places to start.
Patrick -Tie…..Antonio Williams and Austin Mack. They’re not here yet but both will make a huge impact as true freshman.
Scott – Mike Weber. I think he could be special.
WVa – I wanted to talk about Noah Brown here because I think the kid has it and will be huge next season. But, he won’t be as huge as Curtis Samuel will be. There cannot ever be a replacement for Ezekiel Elliott but CS will do a pretty good job of filling some big shoes. His speed makes him difficult to gauge when he makes those cutbacks and he has some of the best ability when it comes to blocking as well.
Joe D. – Curtis Samuel is the player that I’ve watched over the last two seasons and have expressed consistently that I can’t wait to see him get more opportunities to shine at running back. If he gets that in 2016, we are looking at another very special player lined up alongside the quarterback. Especially with his improved receiving skills.
JC – Curtis Samuel. The Brooklyn kid will shine in Columbus.
Michael – Mike Weber. Will replace Elliott at RB. I’ve seen highlights. I think we will love this kid
Brandon – Sam Hubbard. This student athlete will be an absolute force next year. He has been a safety, tight end, linebacker, and now defensive lineman with the Buckeyes. All of that athleticism will show next year.
Curtis Samuel has the nod as the future of the Buckeyes.
tOSU Assistant Coach MVP
Ken – Split vote (again) between Larry Johnson and Mickey Marotti. Johnson did a good job of integrating new players into the D-line to make it a very effective unit. Marotti, again, made sure the team was in shape to grind through another long season.
Patrick – Luke Fickell
Scott – Kerry Coombs. Why not. He’s fun to watch.
WVa – Luke Fickell is my guy. I have been behind him since his lone season of being the head coach which truly was probably just biding time until Urban Meyer could arrive. We are truly blessed to have him and it really doesn’t appear as though he is in a hurry to be a head coach. That is good news for Buckeye fans.
Joe D. – Luke Fickell does not get enough credit in the development of players at Ohio State. Especially in the back seven. Tyvis Powell and Darron Lee were three-star recruits that we didn’t know would even take the field in starter capacities.
They are now off to the NFL.
The same can be said about Joshua Perry and Vonn Bell. Raekwon McMillan credits his growth fully to the type of coach and mentor that Luke Fickell is. I hope Ohio State fans realize how special of a talent evaluator Coach Fick is.
JC – Luke Fickell – Joe you are right. This man does not get enough credit. His knowledge and coaching abilities will have him Head Coaching elsewhere soon!
Michael – Larry Johnson. The DL was great and what he brings with recruiting, coaching ability, etc..
Brandon – Mickey Marottti. This man is what turns Urban Meyer recruits into NFL players. He goes unheralded most of the time but ask players who makes them their best. Guys are already dreading the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre coming up in a few months.
Luke Fickell gains the admiration of most of us!
The post TBBC Awards: Post Season Thoughts appeared first on The Buckeye Battle Cry: Ohio State News and Commentary.
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